AN ERRONEOUS FEELING.

209

duced into the school, each set of teachers will decide for themselves. If the Superintendent can conduct it, he, by all means, should do it; if he cannot, let him be careful to obtain the proper man to do it, and in every practicable way assist and encourage him.

But there will be some teachers who are not singers, -who cannot aid in this exercise; what shall they do? How can they be expected to aid in promoting singing? I ask such if they do not wish they could sing?—if they would grudge any expense if they could only purchase the power of singing? Do they not regret that no one taught them during their childhood? Let them recollect that the blessing, the loss of which they so deeply mourn, may now be communicated to the children. Let them spare no efforts to have all the children possess this high enjoyment. No efforts will result in greater effects. Children, when once taught, love to sing. Hardly any thing can add more to the enjoyment of beings, made up of affections and reason, as men are. One thing more. Some seem to feel that singing God's praises is beneath them; that this part of divine worship may be left to hearts destitute of grace, and to lips never sanctified by prayer. I cannot but protest against this feeling. Let the theatre and the opera be under the control of the wicked,-let the songs of revelry and folly pass through the lips of the profane;—but shall the Christian,—the redeemed sinner, who hopes to sing the praises of redeeming love to all eternity in heaven, shall he refuse to sing of that love here on earth? The glorious church in heaven sing God's praises before the universe, and angels join in the songs, even ten thousand times ten thousand,-and shall it be, that Christians are above singing these praises here on earth? Shame, shame to a love so cold, a gratitude so dumb!

210

THE MISSIONARY CAUSE.

CHAPTER X.

CONNEXION OF THE MISSIONARY CAUSE WITH THE

SUNDAY SCHOOL.

How far the Sunday School should be made a Missionary Society, or be used to aid the cause of missions, is an important, but a difficult question to answer. There are difficulties connected with it, unseen at the first glance. My own views can be briefly expressed, though I fear they will not be satisfactory to many whom I respect, and who may differ from me.

I begin by saying, that I do not think it advisable to organize our Sunday Schools into regular missionary societies, temperance societies, education societies, &c. I am acquainted with some schools which have all these, with the addition of anti-slavery and colonization societies; and if the Christian community should be further divided into parties, would doubtless have every party represented. It seems to me that the great object of the Institution is the Sunday School, and I should tremble to be the one who should turn it, or begin to turn it, from its appropriate work. The object is to take children of all ages, conditions, habits, prejudices, and influences, to teach them the word of God, and to form their characters upon that word. There can be but one predominant object before a school,—and the rest must, of course, be subordinate. That predominant object should be to teach the Bible, and to lead the souls of the children to God. It must never be lost sight of. For example, if I am teaching my class today, the parable of the ten virgins, I wish no other object to come before the mind. I wish to teach that particular thing so plainly, so clearly, and so forcibly, that it shall never be forgotten. My work for the day is to do this. Now I cannot do it, if the attention of the school is to be diverted, and if a part of the time they are to act as a missionary, a tract, a temperance,

THE SPIRIT OF MISSIONS.

211

or any other society. Every teacher must feel that his object is nothing less than to see each of his pupils embracing Christ, and growing up in holiness. If a school becomes a missionary society, and takes that character, that object becomes the predominant object, and is more thought of, talked of, calculated upon, than any other object. Is this best?

Another thing. A Sunday School, whose great object is to be a missionary society, must be a small one; because comparatively few parents feel an interest in missions. They are not willing that their children should be different from the rest of the school, and yet are not willing to aid them in contributing. The result is, they either keep their children at home, or send them to some other Sunday School. Sunday Schools can fulfil the great object at which they aim, in no way so rapidly, surely, and pleasantly, as by keeping to their great object. By doing this, the worldly, the indifferent, the irreligious, and the profane, will entrust their children to their care. They will do less to counteract your instructions; and the only cavil which the heart of malice can invent is, that you teach them the Bible. The institution is a broad one. It is to embrace all denominations, frequently in the same school, and it must stand on broad ground. From this high position I would never have the institution descend. I make these remarks with the more emphasis, lest those which are to follow shall have undue influence.

But I would have the spirit of Missions always in the Sunday-school room. The very employment of the teachers is that of being domestic missionaries. They act in character only as they have the missionary spirit. They are labouring for the conversion of the world, and from this they can never turn aside;-this they can never forget. They must, and they will, then, create more or less of the missionary atmosphere around them. They will, and they ought to introduce the

212

GENERAL VIEWS TO BE INTRODUCED.

same spirit into the school,- —ever bearing in mind, that none but a regenerated heart can truly and deeply enter into the great work of converting the world to Christ.

How far, then, should the subject be introduced, and what ground should it occupy ?

It is evident at the very first glance, that only general views, and the great subject of converting the world, can be introduced; for if you are to bring in each wheel of the machinery, and try to interest the school in sending missionaries abroad, sending Bibles and tracts, raising up ministers, and feeding the destitute with the bread of life, you have all the time consumed. I reply, then,

1. That the school should be taught on the subject of missions, in connexion with the Bible.

The Bible predicts a day in which the earth shall be converted to God. Prophets, apostles, and martyrs prayed, rejoiced, suffered and died in view of such a day. The church of God at the present time expects it; she prays for it; the Lord's Prayer anticipates it; -and the church universal is now beginning to labour for this great object. She will not be disappointed,— the heathen will be given to Christ for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession. The school should be taught this from the Bible,—so plainly and clearly that every child may see that we stand on right ground, and on an immovable position, when we labour and pray for the salvation of the earth. Let them be taught that we do not run without being sent; that we go by command, by direction, by the aid, the countenance, the promises, and the blessing of God. We cannot, shall not be disappointed. The millennial day will come. I feel that it is very important that this light be poured into the mind in early life; that the child, as he grows up, may understand the great principles of action which govern the church of God, that he may know how to defend them;

that his confidence in them may be deep and unshaken, and that his sympathies, as far as possible, may be enlisted. How often such a lesson should be given out, each school will determine for itself. Perhaps once in two months will be sufficiently often. These recitations should always be in connexion with the Bible, and might be classified something in this way :

-

(1.) How does the description of the Bible in regard to the heathen, correspond with their state at the present day; and how does this state compare with that to be created by the full light and influence of the Gospel?

(2.) What does the Bible say is the only remedy for the sinful condition of the world;-and how does this correspond with the experience of men?

(3.) What were the results of the missions in the days of the Apostles, as they went among the heathen; and how do these results correspond with the effects produced by missionaries in our days?

(4.) What trials attended the preaching of the Gospel among the heathen in the apostolic days, and what trials in these times? What trials and difficulties will always have to be encountered? What inferences to be drawn in regard to our prayers and sympathies for those who are engaged in this work?

(5.) What part have children taken in the cause of religion, as mentioned in the Bible, and what have they to do in the work now before the church?

(6.) What sacrifices does the Bible require of us in the work of converting the world to Christ, before we have done our duty?

Questions like these, to any extent, may be raised, and all founded on recitations in the Bible. They will be answered by a complete knowledge of what the church is doing at the present time for the salvation of the world. This plan, or something like it, will give the teacher a most admirable opportunity to contrast the condition of the heathen, and especially heathen